006: The Northern Pack

Lyra’s POV

I couldn’t move. My legs felt like they’d been nailed to the floor.

Killian’s eyes stayed locked on mine, even as his body tensed, even as he reached that final moment. The sound he made, low and guttural, sent a wave of something through me that I couldn’t name. Shame? Rage? The mate bond screamed inside me, clawing at my chest like a wild animal trying to break free.

My wolf thrashed violently, howling in protest. She wanted to burst out, to tear that woman away from him, to claim what was ours. But I forced her down, my nails digging into my palms until I felt blood.

The woman finally pulled away, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked up at Killian with this adoring expression, like he’d just given her the world. Then her eyes found me standing in the doorway.

“Is she another one?” she asked, her voice dripping with casual cruelty. “Part of your collection?”

Killian didn’t answer right away. He adjusted himself slowly, deliberately, like he had all the time in the world. His gaze never left mine.

“She’s a little more important than a whore,” he said finally, his voice cold and detached. He buttoned his shirt with lazy movements. “But I wouldn’t mind if she wanted to join.”

The words hit me like a physical blow.

I felt my face burn with humiliation. My throat tightened, and for a second, I thought I might actually cry. But I refused to give him that satisfaction.

I turned and walked away, my hands shaking, my vision blurring at the edges. Behind me, I heard the woman laugh.

I made it back to my room and slammed the door shut. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. The mate bond was torture, pulling me toward him even as every rational part of me wanted to run as far away as possible.

What had I gotten myself into?

I sank onto the edge of the bed, gripping the sheets until my knuckles turned white. Damon’s words echoed in my head, refusing to leave me alone.

‘“Seventeen years ago, your father nearly killed him. And you watched them do it.”’

I didn’t remember. I didn’t remember any of it. But that photograph, that boy with the brown eyes, there was something about him that felt familiar in a way I couldn’t explain. Like a dream I’d forgotten the moment I woke up.

Had I really known Killian before? Had something terrible happened between our families?

And if it was true, why couldn’t I remember?

***

The next few hours passed in a blur.

Maids came to dress me, their hands efficient and impersonal. They pulled me into a deep green gown that hugged my body in all the wrong ways, making me feel exposed. My hair was styled carefully, pinned up with jeweled clips that probably cost more than anything I’d ever owned.

One of the maids, a girl named Amy with kind eyes, tried to make conversation.

“You look beautiful, miss,” she said softly. “The family will be impressed.”

I doubted that very much.

“I don’t think they want to be impressed,” I said, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I barely recognized myself. “They probably want me gone.”

Amy hesitated, then lowered her voice. “The Alpha’s family is… complicated. But if Killian claimed you, there must be a reason. He doesn’t do anything without purpose.”

I wanted to believe that. But after what I’d seen tonight, I wasn’t sure Killian had any purpose beyond making me suffer.

When the maids finished, Amy gave me an encouraging smile. “Just breathe. You’ll be fine.”

I wasn’t so sure about that.

***

The main dining hall was even more intimidating than I’d imagined.

It was massive, with high ceilings and walls lined with portraits of past Alphas. A long table stretched down the center, set with fine china and crystal glasses that caught the light from the chandeliers above. Everything about this place screamed power, legacy, dominance.

Killian was waiting for me at the entrance. He’d changed into a dark suit, looking every bit the Alpha heir he was. He didn’t say anything when I approached, just offered his arm.

I took it, even though touching him made the mate bond flare painfully.

We walked into the hall together, and immediately, I felt every eye in the room turn toward me.

The table was already half-filled with people, all of them radiating Alpha energy in varying degrees. They studied me with expressions ranging from curiosity to outright hostility.

Killian didn’t acknowledge any of it. He led me to two seats near the head of the table and pulled out my chair. I sat, feeling like a lamb surrounded by wolves.

No one greeted me. No one smiled. The silence was suffocating.

Killian finally broke it, his voice calm and commanding. “This is Lyra. My mate.”

He gestured around the table, introducing them one by one.

“Uncle Rafael,” he said, nodding toward a man with sharp features and calculating eyes. Rafael looked at me like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve, or maybe a problem he needed to eliminate.

“Aunt Marisol,” Killian continued, indicating the woman beside Rafael. She was beautiful in an artificial way, dripping with jewelry and expensive fabric. Her eyes swept over me with thinly veiled disdain.

“Uncle Vicente.” This man was older, stern, with gray streaking through his dark hair. He didn’t even try to hide his disapproval. His gaze felt like judgment itself.

“Aunt Esperanza.” She was quiet, watching me with an unreadable expression. I couldn’t tell if she hated me or was just reserving judgment.

Then came the cousins.

“Mateo and Lucas,” Killian said, gesturing to two young men who looked like twins. They were probably in their late teens, with cocky grins that made me instantly uncomfortable.

“Valeria.” A young woman with sharp eyes and an even sharper expression. She was the only one who didn’t look at me like I was dirt.

“And you’ve already met Damon.”

Damon nodded once, his expression neutral.

No one said anything after the introductions. They just stared.

I forced myself to sit up straighter, to meet their gazes even though everything in me wanted to shrink away.

Marisol was the first to speak, her voice sweet and poisonous. “Oh, Killian, she’s so… delicate. I hope she’s strong enough to handle life in the Northern Pack. It can be quite demanding, you know.”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

One of the twins, Mateo, leaned forward with a smirk. “She doesn’t look like she could survive a day out in the training grounds. Think she even knows how to shift without tripping over her own paws?”

Lucas snorted. “Probably not. Dominic pack wolves are all show, no bite.”

“Shut it,” Valeria said sharply, shooting them a warning look. “You two sound like idiots.”

The twins backed off, but they were still grinning.

Killian didn’t say a word. He just sat there, watching the whole thing unfold like it was some kind of entertainment.

Rafael cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “I have to say, Killian, I’m surprised you brought her here at all. Given what her family did.”

The room went silent.

I felt my stomach drop. There it was again. That mention of something I didn’t remember, something everyone else seemed to know.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, my voice barely steady.

Rafael’s eyes narrowed. “You really don’t know?”

Before I could respond, the doors at the far end of the hall opened.

Everyone stood immediately, including Killian.

I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding.

Two figures entered the room, walking with the kind of authority that made the air itself feel heavier.

Killian’s parents.

The Alpha King and Queen of the Northern Pack.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

And the moment Killian's mother's eyes landed on me, her face went completely white.

Not with anger.

With something that looked terrifyingly close to recognition.

She gripped her husband's arm.

And whispered something only he could hear.

His expression didn't change.

But his eyes found mine across the room, and stayed there.

Like he had been waiting for this moment too.